Sewing for Kindergarten–Brought to you by the Number 5

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Today, I have the privilege of joining some sewing wonder women in a series hosted by Mie from Sewing Like Mad called Sewing for Kindergarten. I love Mie’s idea of rounding up such a fun group to focus on little ones entering this new milestone in their education! Kindergarten for my oldest daughter actually involves a pretty rigid dress code down to the tote bag (so hard for this sewing Mama).  The outfits I sewed highlight slightly different aspects involved with this time of year, but are totally kinder friendly. I also choose to include the number 5 as a little nod to our 5 year old kinder girl.

Living in a small college town means this place takes on a new life as soon as football season kicks off. If you know anything about Ole Miss, you know the tailgating is legendary. This first outfit is made to wrap together the team colors, a sporty look, and a feminine dress.

Sporty 5 dress

The pattern comes from the Japanese sewing book: Heart Warming Life Series: Chiisana Onnanoko no Oyafuku (Clothes for Little Girls) by Yuki Araki. The navy and red striped knit is from Banberry Place, and the grey knit is from an old shirt. I used Sandi Henderson’s strawberry fabric for a little feminine touch to the block number 5.

Sporty 5 applique

The front placket required a little guess work since the Japanese pattern didn’t show many photo details, but in the end, it all folded together nicely. Hand sewn snaps close everything up. I’d love to try some colorful snaps here next time.

Sporty 5 Placket

The raglan sleeves give a sporty vibe, while the gathers at the neck give another feminine detail.

Sporty 5 neck

The next dress is special for another kindergarten milestone, moving up from the pre-k class at Sunday school. The pattern is ‘The Goodship Dress’ by Karen LePage. The main dress fabric is Robert Kaufman’s Carolina Chambray in black with a pop of color in the pleat by Dena Designs.

Dressy 5 Goodship Dress

I loved that I could feature this fun 5 button on the tab front.

Dressy 5 Goodship Dress button

And, what’s not to love about a big sailor collar?!?

Dressy 5 Goodship Dress collar

Other than a brief case of mono, we are off to a great school year so far. I hope you follow along with the rest of Mie’s Sewing for Kindergarten series for tons of inspiration. If you’re inclined to sew for football season, check back later this week for a look inspired by my alma mater.

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